Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt has been eliminated from the Los Angeles mayoral race, according to the latest projections, dealing a blow to Donald Trump after the president endorsed his candidacy. Pratt, 42, had initially held second place in the open primary held on June 2, but as counting continued, city council member Nithya Raman overtook him.
Raman now stands at 28.5 percent of the vote, compared to Pratt's 25.8 percent, according to forecasts cited by the BBC, NBC News, and other outlets. Pratt had insisted in recent days that the race was not over, telling supporters on Monday: 'Folks, we’re dealing with a fraction of a percentage point difference, there’s still hundreds of thousands of votes outstanding, and LA officials have given us the next 3 weeks to count! Let’s git-r-dun!' However, it now appears the run-off will be between two Democrats: incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and Raman.
Bass, 72, the first Black woman to lead Los Angeles, is seeking a second term. She faced a difficult 2025 with devastating wildfires in January and protests against ICE raids in the summer, but retains support from influential California Democrats such as Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi. Raman, 44, a surprise late entrant who has served on the city council since 2020, has been compared to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. She has a background in urban planning and has campaigned on affordable housing, cutting homelessness, and bringing jobs back to Hollywood.
Meanwhile, in the race for California governor, it remains unclear whether Republican former spin doctor Steve Hilton or billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer will join former U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra in the final two. Trump has claimed on Truth Social that Hilton has 'advanced' to the run-off, while also complaining without evidence that the state's elections are 'crooked.' CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten dismissed Trump's claims as 'the dumbest conspiracy theory I’ve ever heard,' noting that the Democratic establishment likely preferred Pratt as an opponent for Bass.
